sinclair



(No Model 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. A. SINCLAIR.

BOOK HOLDER.

N0. 538,604. Patented Apr. 30, 1895.

4i a Q Vi Mao-ow I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. A. SINCLAIR.

BOOK HOLDER.

(No Model.)

Patented Apr. 30, 1 895.

' STATES UNrref JOHN A. SINCLAIR, OF KINGSTON, CANADA.

BOQK-YHOLDEIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,604, dated April30, 1895.

Application filed March 6, 1893.

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN A. SINCLAIR, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at Kingston, in the-Province of Ontario and Dominionof Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book-Holders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to book holders and isintended to facilitate theuse of heavy volumes such as'books of reference and the like.

My holder consists essentially of a'case substantially the shape of thebook to be supported and a little larger than the same. I prefer havinga case for each volume, but if found more convenient two or more booksmight be kept in the same case.

The objects of my. invention are to provide an easy and convenient meansfor referring to books of great size as well as the protection of theirbindings.

The nature of the invention therefore consists of certain combinationsand arrangements of the various parts as will be fully described in thespecification and pointed out in the claims reference being made to theac companying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation showing theholder in position on a book-shelf. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing theholder drawn out from its position on the shelfso that the book itcontains may be opened for reference. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing theholder opened. Fig. 4 is an end view showing the sides of the holderopened. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modification, and Fig. 6 is anend view of the same. Referring to the drawings Arepresents the shelfwhich supports the book holder. A is a metallic bar or frame securelyfastened to said shelf.

D, D and D represent respectively the back and sides or covers of theholder which are made similar to the cover of a book. Rigidly secured tothe rear of the back D of the holder and at right angles to it, is thestrip H, which is at least the length of the end of the book to beinclosed and for which it forms a rest when the holder is in the posi-Serial No. 464,809. (No model.)

tion shown in Fig. 1. .to the bar A at O, and is provided at itsoppositeend with the projecting stop H, which serves to prevent thevolume from slipping out when the holder is opened.

To prevent the back D from turning too far over or down when the holderis pulled forward, to open the volume, I provide the links E, E onepivoted to the rear end of the bar A and the other to the upper end ofthe strip H, their free ends being brought together and pivoted at 6.(See Fig. 2.) In order to insure the inward folding of these links whenthe holder is returned to the shell", I connect a spring E at the jointe and to the bar A.

To prevent the sides D, D from bending back too far when the holder isopened I connect two sets of links F, F, to the strip H one pivoted to alink F that is secured to the side D and the other pivoted to a link Fthat is secured tothe side D To insure the inward folding of these linkswhen the device is to be closed, and to ease the fall of the covers whenit is opened, I desire to secure a spring F to the point where each pairof links is pivoted together mainly at Fand secure said spring to someconvenient point on bar A.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have showna slightly modified form of construction.Instead of employing the springs E and F I balance the holder and itssides by means of the weight G which is suspended by the cordsf, f.These cords pass up through the shelf and frame A over the pulleys 1, 1,journaled in said frame A, around the pulleys 2, 2 on the strip H andfrom there over the pulleys 3, 3 to the sides D and D to which they aresecured in anyeonvenient or suitable manner. When the cords and weightare used they take the place of the springs as the cords are secured tothe covers D D and also control the movement of the links E, E, byreason of their contact with the strip H. Instead of pivoting the back Dto the bar A at point C a slot 0 is cut in said bar, so that the bookand holder can be pulled out before being brought over as shown in Fig.2. By means of this slot it is clear that when it is desired to refer tothe book inclosed in the holder, said holder will be pulled forwarduntil the pivot The back D is pivoted (Z either reaches the end of theslot or some convenient point when the holder will be brought over tothe position shown in Fig. 6. The advantage of this construction is,that the book is not turned down until it reaches the edge of the shelf,and consequently the shelf above need not be made so high as isnecessary when the point C is permanent. It the book is very large andheavy and projects a long way beyond the shelf it may be foundconvenient to brace the back by a bar extending from the outer end of Dto the shelf below as shown in dotted lines Fig. 6.

What I claim as new is 1. In a book holder, the combination of a backhaving a bar pivoted at one end and a stop 11 at the other; a strip Hsecured to and projecting up at right angles from said back; links E andE pivoted together and to the bar and strip respectively; sides D and Dpivoted to the back; links F and F pivoted together as shown and havingone end of the jointed links pivoted to the strip and the other end tothe sides; and means, substantially as described for holding the pivotedlinks at an angle when the sides are open and the back in a horizontalposition for the purpose described.

2. In a book holder, the combination of a slotted bar adapted to besecured to a shelf; a back having strip H, and sides D and D and pivotedin the slot of said bar; the links E, E and F, F yand the weighted cordssecured to the sides and arranged to operate upon said sides and strip.

3. In a book holder, the combination of a bar to be secured to ashelfand having a slotand rollers 1, 1; the back having strip H and rollers2, 2, and 3, 3; sides D and D hinged to the back; links E, E aud F F andthe weighted cords secured to the sides D and I) and passing over saidrollers.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. SINCLAIR.

\Vitnesses:

R. O. H. SINCLAIR, JOHN MILLAR.

